CHICAGO–The American Medical Association (AMA) in late July expressed “deep concern” to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy about news that he intends to remove all members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).
“USPSTF plays a critical, non-partisan role in guiding physicians’ efforts to prevent disease and improve the health of patients by helping to ensure access to evidence-based clinical preventive services,” the AMA said in its letter. “As such, we urge you to retain the previously appointed members of the USPSTF and commit to the long-standing process of regular meetings to ensure their important work can continue without interruption.”
The full letter reads as follows:
Dear Secretary Kennedy,
On behalf of the physician and medical student members of the American Medical Association (AMA), I am writing to express our deep concern with the recent reports of your intention to remove all of the members of the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). As you know, USPSTF plays a critical, non-partisan role in guiding physicians’ efforts to prevent disease and improve the health of patients by helping to ensure access to evidence-based clinical preventive services. As such, we urge you to retain the previously appointed members of the USPSTF and commit to the long-standing process of regular meetings to ensure their important work can continue without interruption.
The USPSTF has long played an essential role in making evidence-based recommendations for clinical prevention of disease. USPSTF members have been selected through an open, public nomination process and are nationally recognized experts in primary care, prevention and evidence-based medicine. They serve on a volunteer basis, dedicating their time to help reduce disease and improve the health of all Americans—a mission well-aligned with the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
Importantly, the USPSTF puts forth recommendations that dictate coverage policy for health insurers nationwide. By law, insurers must cover USPSTF-recommended services without cost sharing. This means that patients have access to services such as screenings for colon, breast, and lung cancer; screenings for anxiety and depression in children; and screenings and preventive services for cardiovascular disease. Access to these services without cost sharing plays a critical role in keeping patients healthy and reducing the burdens of disease.
The most important role physicians play is improving the health of patients. Given the essential role USPSTF members play in weighing the benefits and harms of preventive services such as screenings, behavioral counseling, and preventive medications, and making evidence-based recommendations for implementation in primary care settings, we urge you to keep the previously appointed USPSTF members and continue the task force’s regular meeting schedule to ensure recommendations are put forth, updated, and disseminated without delay.”
